She knew the man in the suit, and there were times she was curious about the man in the leather jacket. Which man was the real one? Were both an act? Either way, she’d never find out. He was such a grumpy man at times.
“What are your thoughts on him?” she asked. O’Brian was a lecherous bastard, who thought he was the answer to every woman’s sexual fantasy. Not hers, nope. O’Brian was gross, and he’d even made her vomit in her own mouth once with his sexual overtures.
Richard leaned back, and the chair gave a little squeak under his weight. Her boss wasn’t fat. He was just big, huge even, like a gladiator, or a demigod, or something. He certainly had her getting wet.
Temperance pushed all those thoughts to one side. She refused to be aroused by her boss, or at least that was what she tried to tell herself on a daily basis.
“He’s a classic asshole. Money has made him believe he’s untouchable.”
Biting her lip, she forced herself to stare at Richard’s face, and not do a casual sweep down his body, even though she wanted to.
“Untouchable?”
“I don’t like him.”
“Yet you’re going to do a deal.”
“I do a lot of deals with men I don’t like. Women as well.”
“Was that a deal you were doing with that woman?” Temperance slapped her hand over her mouth. She couldn’t believe what she had just said. Never did she make anything so personal.
“Tina is not business.” He climbed out of his chair and made his way around the desk. Temperance took a step back to give him room, and to also make sure that he didn’t actually touch her. This was how they survived their kind of boss and employee relationship. Richard was his domineering self, and she stayed out of his way. Neither of them touched. Just by being near to him, she felt a prickle of awareness at him being so close.
“She’s been coming to the office a lot. Sorry, it’s none of my business.” Temperance had an idea who the woman was, but she wasn’t about to cross that line with her boss.
“It’s okay.”
She couldn’t help but stare at his hands. They were so large, and she wondered how they would feel on her body, caressing and touching her. Pushing those thoughts aside, she took a step back.
“You still haven’t answered my question about O’Brian.”
“You’re not a fool, Mr. Bruce. You know my thoughts on O’Brian.” She left his office, going back to her desk. Taking a seat, she pulled up a list of the day’s appointments. She made a quick note, seeing that he had a twelve o’clock. Getting to her feet, she made her way toward the conference rooms.
Temperance knew her job well, so she set about preparing the room. She placed a notice that the room would be in use, and also opened some windows. There was nothing worse than being unprepared for a meeting.
Whistling, she arranged all the chairs and grabbed a quick cloth to dust down the table.
She loved her job. Working as Richard’s PA took her around the world, and she got to experience different kinds of cultures and admire a variety of countries. Not only did she love the travel, she actually enjoyed working with her boss, who was rather testy at times. He intrigued her.
Still, he was her boss, and there was no way he’d cross that kind of line. She never expected him to. Temperance wouldn’t even dream of trying to tempt him.
“What are you doing?” Richard asked.
Spinning around toward the door, she saw him standing in the entrance. One of his hands was in his pants pocket, and the other holding the door handle.
“You don’t think all your offices are pristine, do you? I’m just getting it ready for your first meeting of the day. Would you rather I stop?”
“Don’t we have cleaners for that job?”
“I can run a cloth along a surface. It’s no big deal.”
“I pay you to work for me.”
“I am.”
He shook his head. “No, this is not working for me. This is cleaning.”
Temperance frowned.
“Let me put it another way, do I need to hire a cleaner during the day?” He stepped into the room and started to advance toward her.
She stayed where she was. “I really don’t understand where you’re going with this line of questioning.”
Richard kept on walking until he stood right in front of her. The scent of his cologne was intoxicating. She was sure she detected a hint of leather and the scent of oil.
“The question I’m asking, Temperance Harris, is do I need to hire a cleaner seeing as you were not at your desk? I had to answer the phone in your absence.”
It was like a fog had descended over her brain making everything all hazy.
Nothing happened. Richard stood within her private space, and she couldn’t think. “A new cleaner?”
“It would mean you’d remain at your desk. I always wondered why you’d disappear an hour before a meeting. Now I know.”
Was he whispering? His breath seemed to fan her face.
As she glanced down at his body, Temperance’s cheeks heated. Pressed against the front of his pants was his large cock, and she had to contain her sudden fear. He was huge, and not just biker huge. This was porn star huge.
“You want me back at my desk?”
“Yes, I want you back at your desk.”
“All right.” She brushed past him and headed toward the door, but Richard caught her. “Is there anything I can get you?”
Richard didn’t speak, and she forced herself to look up. He was staring at her curiously. “Yeah, there is.”
“What would you like?”
“I want to know who Bryan is.”
“Bryan? I don’t understand.”
“The person who called your desk. His name is Bryan, and he wanted you to call right away. He said it was urgent.”
“Oh, Bryan. Right, yes, he’s my brother.”
“You have a brother?” he asked.
“Yes, I have a brother. I also have a little sister, too. She’s in college right now, studying for an art major.”
“I never knew you had a brother.”
“He’s one of my contacts for emergencies. If you can’t get my parents, he’s the next one in line.”
Richard tilted his head to the side, observing her. “I never knew you had a family.”
Temperance smiled. “Everyone has a family.”
He released her arm. “Not me.”
“Surely you must have had some family.”
“None. I was passed through foster homes. Never did stick.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“Are you married?” he asked.
“What? No. I’m not married.”
“Do you have a partner?”
“No, I’m single, why?”
“I’m just curious to know. I don’t seem to know a lot about you.”
“Mr. Bruce, all of these questions can be answered on my employment form. You have them on all your employees, and you wouldn’t let me work for you without it.”
“Lifestyle choices change.”
Temperance stared at him. “Are you married?”
“No.”
“Single?”
“Yes.”
“What about that woman? She doesn’t strike me as a sister or a work colleague.”
“Miss Harris, what are you doing?”
“I’m asking reasonable questions. The way I see it, if you can ask them personally of me, then I can do the same of you. You once said you believed in equality, providing your employees knew that the final decision was your own.”
“You remembered that.” His lips gave a twinge as if he was fighting a smile.
“I’m sorry that my brother called the office. I won’t let it happen again.” She started walking toward the door, and was about to exit when his voice stopped her.
“She’s a woman I fuck when the mood strikes me.”
Glancing at her boss over her shoulder, Temperance couldn’t believe the flood of arousal that swept over her from his blatant words.
He fucked in the office. She’d known all along, and even though they were breaking the employer and employee code, she didn’t care.
****
It was getting late, and Jay knew it was going to be another day where Temperance wouldn’t be returning home to their apartment. She hadn’t even called this time. Her boss, Richard, he was starting to be a problem. He saw the difference in her. She liked her boss. No, not just liked, it was too subtle a word. Temperance wanted her boss. The desire was clear in her eyes, and Jay didn’t know what to do. He was losing the only woman he ever loved, and it was all his fault. She had never shown the slightest interest in him after their time years ago. He didn’t want to lose her, but other than sharing her with this boss, he didn’t know if he was ever going to win her over.
Just the thought of his little Tempe losing herself between him and another man had his cock so damn hard. She’d always had this effect on him, consuming him with need.
If only he’d fought for her back then. They had a lot of history.
I’m not going to let another guy take her from me.
Jay would do whatever he had to in order to keep her. He needed to find out who this boss was.
Chapter Two
He hated O’Brian. The bastard was so smug, and thought he knew what the hell he was doing. Richard stared across the table at the most irritating man he’d ever done business with.